The Final Eternal Dream Chapter 1
by dounya
Summary: Cain is behaving strangely, lately. However, he himself doesn't know the reason that has led him to his inner restlessness...How can he fill that emptiness inside?..."Riff...you are always there for me.." contains RiffXCain but not yet in this chapter


The Final Eternal Dream

**Scene 1: "My Deepest Inside"**

He couldn't explain it, but somehow it was interesting watching the leaves being blown by the wind as if he was playing with them. Today, the sky was darker than the days before and everything seemed just gloomy and colourless.

"...Just like me...", he murmured to himself.

Cain Hargreaves, the seventeen-year-old Count, was sitting on the window-sill while observing the games of nature outside. Actually, he didn't know the reason that had led him to such a boring occupation which really didn't suit him at all. Usually, he would attend to his beloved poisons he passionately collected, but for some time past, he often hadn't done anything except sitting and looking at the emptiness. Cain was lost in thought, but he kept his secrets deep inside him....

Suddenly, a strange feeling of a horrible coldness was passing through his whole body so that he really felt uncomfortable. Perhaps it was too much coldness for the young master....

Outside and inside...everything was so terribly cold.

The Count had just taken a shower which, he believed, would help him clearing up his mind.....or maybe he hoped the warm water would somehow melt the ice inside him and fill him at least with a bit of warmth.

But it was all the same, nothing changed.

Cain suddenly heard a silent giggling and immediately, he turned his face from the window and looked heading for the voice.

The Count was relieved when he saw his manservant Riff standing in front of the little table in his big and majestic room while preparing some tea for his lord.

"Oh,...Riff...I...didn't remark you....Since when have you been standing here?"

Cain tried to sound as usual as possible in order to pretend that everything was all right. He even exaggerated with emphasising his question so that it was obvious for Riff that his master wasn't behaving naturally.

"I've been standing for quiet a long time here, my lord. Of course I had been knocking on the door several times before I went in...., but as you didn't answer, I was just worrying. I thought there might be something wrong so I decided to enter your room....I beg your apologise, my lord."

Cain said nothing, but he was still looking at his servant without really remarking his unnormal behaviour.

After Riff had raised his head and passed a little glance at his master, the Count became finally aware of his situation. He then automatically turned his head back to the window and tried to think of something to say, just in order to hide that unexplainable nervousness.

"....And....why didn't you say something after you had entered?"

Riff looked again at his master and smiled gently at him so that the Count wondrously calmed down a bit....The temper of Riff simply revealed ease and comfort...

"Forgive me, young master, but I saw you being absent-minded, so I really didn't want to disrupt you...."

-Silence-

"...Never mind now, my lord....I just thought some warm tea would do you good after your shower. It seems to be dark and cool today, perhaps a cup of tea would at least warm you up a bit."

Riff had always known what his master needed, and with this thought in mind, Cain felt somehow secure. This time, an unknown feeling of pleasant warmth was passing through his whole body which really made him feel comfortable.

"Yes. You're right, Riff. A cup of tea wouldn't be bad at all..."

Riff walked to his master and gave him the cup with his own-made tea.

Cain didn't hesitate and immediately, he took a sip. Yes...his servant was right. The tea he was drinking was flowing through the whole of him leaving warmth in every

part and limb of his cold body.

But it wasn't only the taste and warmth of the tea which made him feel better inside. The smell of the cup which had been touched by Riff's hands just before, had an unbelievable charming effect, too. The scent was wonderful....nearly impossible to describe. It was a soft and lovely scent, full of tenderness and gentleness which had circled him with warmth even before he took his first sip of tea.

That truly was the way how the Count was feeling...not just at that moment, but always when Riff was around...

After Cain had finished his tea, Riff prepared himself to leave the room while taking the tray with the teapot and the empty cup. He didn't expect his lord to say something at the end, but this time was different.

"Riff, wait!.....I..I just wanted......I wanted to thank you, Riff...."

Riff wondered about his lord's gratitude, but he was especially astonished about the way he thanked him, namely in a very intimidated one.

Cain couldn't look at his servant while having said that, however, that kind of gratitude seemed so true for Riff. It was unusual seeing his master in such a "weak" position. He stuttered and appeared to blush, but after all, the Count was just a simple human being, too...

"I'm very pleased, my lord, but...you really don't need to thank me for just having served tea to you."

"No, Riff....that's not only it....it is....I simply feel better now because.... you've really warmed me up....that's all..."

Cain said that in a childish manner which made Riff smile mildly again.

"You should stop laughing at me, Riff! You've been doing this already from the beginning on as you've entered my room! There's no fun in here..."

"I'm really sorry, my lord, but I would never laugh at you. It's just new for me seeing you so deepened in thoughts, that's all the matter. It's unusual..., but I have to get used to it."

Cain went red and his face was now more like that of a little boy. He then hurried up and tried to say something else in order to change the subject.

"Never mind now.......I feel a bit tired so I think I'm going to sleep...I won't leave my room for today......"

Riff was suddenly looking differently at Cain. He became more serious and was worrying about his lord's strange behaviour.

"Is everything all right with you, my lord? If you are in need of something, then please don't hesitate, just tell me."

If he was in need of something.....the problem was that Cain didn't know the thing he needed.....

"I know, Riff.....you are always there for me..."

Again, he didn't look at his servant while having said that.

For a while, everything was silent, only the sound of the leaves being blown by the wind could be heard. Both stood there without saying anything, but finally, Riff approached the door and Cain looked longingly at him.

"Please take a rest, lord Cain,...I...I cannot stand it seeing you so uneasy....and keeping your worries inside you until you perhaps...."

Riff interrupted his sentence, but still, he was very focused on Cain while looking deeply at his master's unique green-golden eyes. Of course, it was painful for Riff seeing his master suffering..... and it was worse seeing him suffering on his own.....

"...I...I apologise due to my direct behaviour, please rest now, my lord."

Cain was still staring at his manservant, but he didn't say anything. How could he ever tell him his worries, if he himself was unaware of them? He was simply feeling an emptiness inside him, but he didn't know how to fill it.

Finally, Riff left and softly, he closed the door.

Cain was alone now.

Again, he was sensing that terrible coldness. He looked at the window and the sky was darker than before. Suddenly, he remarked the darkness of his room.

"Amazingly, how it has changed so quickly...", he murmured.

"...No,...actually, it was only bright when Riff was inside the room, but the room lost its brightness after he had left.....And now the darkness is circling me again....."

Cain was feeling hopeless at that moment. It was so typical for him. Everywhere he went, he was followed by darkness. In everyplace he was, there always happened an accident or something bad. He was simply cursed and dogged by bad luck, just like his father once had told him. But Cain didn't want to hurt people around him, especially not those ones who were important for him.

Riff was such a bright and pure person. In contrast to him, the Count felt dirty and false.

Cain was lost in thought again, but he didn't want to think at all. It was simply too painful for him.

"...And if he'll be hurt, just because he was around me? What then?", asked Cain to himself.

"...If his brightness and purity will disappear, just because the darkness in me dirtied him and ate him up? What then?"

Cain was lying on his bed while looking deeply at the dark heaven until he finally closed his eyes and fell asleep.

"_I know,....You are always there for me."_


End file.
